I am a first year nursing student at Truman City College in Chicago, IL. I started nursing school on August 23rd 2010. It's a two-year program, so by this time in 2012 I should be an RN - as long as everything goes according to plan.
I come to nursing via a long road. I received a BS in Computer Science from the Ohio State University in 2003, and have spent the last 7 years working tech support. My last job was at a not-for-profit that promotes better healthcare through IT, and I think working with the nurses there must have subconsciously influenced me when I started thinking about what new career I should select.
Why did I pick nursing as my new profession? There's no quick answer to that question. I knew I was unsatisfied with tech support as a career, and when I thought about why I realized that what makes me truly happy is to help and to feel like I'm making a difference in the world. I looked into a few other careers first (notably zoology, because I do love animals) but I also have a deep need for stability, and I have already done my moving around the country. Nursing is a profession that is needed everywhere, and I almost certainly won't have to move to find a job. Plus, from a pragmatic point of view, I want to make sure I can make enough money to keep my cat in the manner to which he's become accustomed. Nursing looked like a perfect fit. So I went to the nurses I worked with, and asked them what they thought. They were all incredibly encouraging and I still appreciate their support so much. I talked to my friends and family and, while they were initially surprised, everyone's been very supportive.
I started taking my prerequisites in the fall of 2008. I had to take biology and re-take chemistry, and then came Anatomy and Physiology I and II. I still haven't taken microbiology, so I honestly thought I wouldn't be accepted into the program for fall of 2010; I was all set to take micro this fall and start the program in 2011. I was utterly shocked when I receive my acceptance letter - truthfully, I couldn't have been more surprised if someone had just walked into my house and punched me in the face. That was in April, and I've spent the last 4 months preparing. Immunizations and titers, background checks, drug tests, physicals, orientations, book-buying, uniform-acquiring, job-quitting - it's been a whirlwind of a summer. But I'm here now, and we've begun, and while I am still terrified I am also excited. And I feel good about it.
